Key holder



June 15, 1937 R, M CHUPBACH 2,084,260

KEY HOLDER Filed Feb. 26, 1937 INVENTOR. fine IZ 1fc0 05ac6.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 15, 1937 PATENT orrica KEY HOLDER Rene M. Schupbach, Providence, R. L, assignor to Freeman-Daughaday Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 26, 1937, Serial No. 127,898

7 Claims.

.This invention relates to a key ring or key holder and has for one of its objects the provision of a simple device of this type which will be effectively held in closed or locked position 5 to prevent escape of any keys which may be positioned thereon.

.Another object of the invention is the provision of .a key holder having a suspending loop for attachment to. a chain, cord or other flexible mem- 1 her with an arrangement such that the parts will tend to move into locking position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly thin construction in substantially a single plane in which there will be no bulging parts at, the hinge joint, and thus one, the hinge joint of which will be inconspicuous.

Another object of the invention is to so arrange the moving parts that they will move into locked position without manual compression of 20 the body of the ring.

With theseand other objects in View the invention consists. of certain novel features of construction, as will be more .fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing:

.-. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the key holder;

#:Fig; 2' isa view similar to Fig. 1 but partly in section illustrating the structure of the closure member;

30 Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with the closure member moved to open position;

Fig. 41s a perspective view of the body portion oii-the holder alone;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the closure mem 5 her;

Fig. 6 is an edge view of the key holder showing its. thin. formation with the suspending loop in substantial plan.

Key holders or key rings of the type in which 40 somezrportion is threaded through the opening in the handle end of the key are known and are .of various constructions. In some structures wherev asuspending loop. is provided, it either has no; efiect, in, the function of the device or serves 45 to tend to. open the closure member when tension is applied; andzinorder to provide a more effective closure member and one in which the suspending loop will function to draw the parts into closed position, I have provided that the closure 50 member swing inwardly to open position and when swung outwardly to closed position it will engage the body, and I have so arranged the suspending loop that tension on the loop will move these parts into firm closed relationship; and the 55 following is a more detailed description of the 2-. The distance from present embodiment of this invention, illustrating the preferred means by which these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawing, ill designates the body portion of the key ring or key holder which, as shown in Fig. 4, is disposed in a curved shape substantially along the arc of a circle although various otlier shapes may be utilized. This body is tapered from the end ii at which the closure member I? (see Fig. 5) is pivoted or hinged, to its, end it which is provided with a hook M for effecting a holding of this end to the closure member. This taper provides more resiliency in the end portion where the hook is situated than in the hinged portion of the device which is found to be more desirable.

The closure member designated generally l2 has an enlarged head end l5 and narrower shank portion Iii which conforms to the width andgenerali shape or configuration of the end portion ll .7

of the body and when hinged thereto its outer and inner surfaces are an extension of the outer and inner tapered surfaces of the body. The body is cut away as at l? along one side surface and the closure member S6 is out as at l8 along the opposite side surface so as to provide an overlapping connection with the opposite surfaces l9 and ll! of these overlapping portions substantially aligned with the adjacent surfaces 21 and 22 of the closure member so that this closure member aligns with the body not only on its inner and outer surfaces but also on both side surfaces. A pivot or hinge pin. 23 serves to pivotally or hingedly connect the body and this closure memberso. that the closure member may be swung from. position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3 about this hinged connection.

The head iii. of the closure member is not only of a larger dimension radially of the key holder but is also ofa larger dimension laterally and isprovided with a slot 25 of a sufilcient size to receive the end portion 53 and hook M of the body. A pin 26 extends through the head and across the slot and the hook Hi of the body receives this pin in the hook shaped recess 27 as illustrated in Fig. the hinge or pivot 23 to the pin 26 is less than the distance from the pin 23 to the inner edge 28 of the hook M when the body is normal or unrestrained, so that the ends of the body iii of the key ring must be sprung toward each other in order for the hook to engage the pin 28 and when so engaged with the pin the body will be under tension tending to expand and will thus hold these parts firmly in engagement. The end of the hook I4 is so shaped as all being normally located at 30 that were the closure member [2 moved outwardly the pin 26 would contact this tip 30 along its inner surface 3| and be guided into the hook.

It will be apparent from what has been heretofore said that the member 12 is in open position in Fig. 3 and may be swung from the position in Fig; 3 to the closed position shown in Fig. 2 by flexing the body so that the pin 26 may be engaged by the hook and that for opening movement a reversal of this operation must occur. Also it will be apparent that the swing ing outwardly of the closure member is blocked by an engagement with the body so that the closure member may never swing outwardly beyond the body in the plane of the body, the parts and disposed in a single plane.

It is desirable that some suspending means be provided for the key holder, and to accomplish this I have provided a loop 29 pivoted as at 30 to the closure member in the opening 3| through the closure member, this loop being in the form of a horeshoe with its ends 32 extending into the opening 3|. This opening 3| is located between the endof the closure member and the hinge 23 and at a substantial distance from the hinge, a convenient location is about in the middle of the closure member. sion is placed on this loop as would be the case were the same suspended on a chain with keys on the body diametrically opposite the closure, the tendency would be for the closure member to be moved outwardly about its hinge or pivot 23 so as to move this closure member more firmly into engagement with the end of the body or the hook that a firmer engagement may be had rather than any tendency to move the closure member to open position.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the construction illustrated, but I desire it to be understood that I reserve the privilege of resorting to all the mechanical changes to which the device is susceptible, the invention being defined and limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A key ring or key holder comprising a curved resilient body with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of said body and swingable inwardly of the body to open position and outwardly into engagement with the body to closed position, and an attaching loop carried by said member at a point spaced from said hinge to be engaged by a suspending chain whereby outward tension on said loop serves to move said member into firmer closed position.

2. A key ring or key holder comprising a curved resilient body in substantially a single plane with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of said body and swingable inwardly in the said plane of the body to open position and outwardly into engagement with the body to closed position and an attaching loop carried by said member at a point spaced from said hinge to be engaged by a suspending chain whereby outward Thus, if any tentension on said loop serves to into firmer closed position.

3. A key ring or key holder comprising a curved resilient body with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of said body and swingable inwardly of the body to open position and outwardly into engagement with the body to closed position, means comprising an interlocking connection between said member andbody, and an attaching loop carried by said member to be engaged by a suspending chain whereby outward tension on said loop serves to move said member into firmer closed position.

4. A key ring or key holder comprising a curved resilient body with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of .said body and swingable inwardly of the body to open position and outmove said member wardly into engagement with the body to closed position, said member being slotted and provided with a pin extending between the walls of said slot and said body having an inwardly curved hook end to fit in said slot and beguided thereby over said pin, and an attaching loop carried by said member to be engaged by a suspending chain whereby outward tension on said loop serves to move said member into firm closed position.

5. A key ring orkey holder comprising an arcuate, curved resilient body in substantially a single plane with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of said body and swingable inwardly in the said plane of the body to open position and outwardly into engagement with the body to closed position, said member being slotted and provided with a pin extending between the walls of said slot and said body having an inwardly curved hook end to fit in said slotand be guided thereby over said pin the distance between said pin and hinge connection being less than the unrestrained distance between said hinge connection and ends of the body must other for locking of the member in closed position to place the body under an inherent tendency to expand.

6. A key ring or key holder comprising a curved resilient body with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of said body and swingable inwardly of the body to open position and out wardly into engagement with the body to closed position, said member being slotted and provided.

with a pin extending between the walls of said slot and said body having an inwardly curved hook end to fit in said slot and over said pin, and means on said hook end to guide the pin into engagement with the hook Ward closed position. 7

7. A key ring or key holder comprising a curved resilient body with its ends spaced, a member hinged to one end of said body and swingable inwardly of the body to open position and outwardly into engagement with the body to closed position, said member being slotted and provided with a pin extending between the walls of said slot and said body having an inwardly curved hook end to fit in said slot and over said pin.

RENE M. SCHUPBACH.

hook end whereby the be moved toward each upon movement i'o- 

